Twenty years may not be a long time in general, but in the video game industry they’re often defined by multiple console generations.

On December 3, 1994, Sony launched their debut console in Japan: the PlayStation (also referred to as the PSX). The PlayStation was originally going to be a collaboration with Nintendo, but after that arrangement fell through Sony created their own gaming platform. Over 20 years later, the PlayStation brand continues to enjoy much success.

The Game-Art-HQ Community want to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the PlayStation with a tribute to over 40 PlayStation games released between 1995 and 2002. You will find many popular games in this art collaboration like Crash Bandicoot, Resident Evil, Final Fantasy and Tekken, but community members were free to choose whatever PlayStation game they wanted to illustrate for the 20th Anniversary tribute!

Have fun discovering a few games you maybe haven’t heard about before in our Tribute to the PSX!

December 1994-1995

The PlayStation was released on December 3, 1994, in Japan. Almost a year later it launched in the USA and Europe. The first big hits to propel the PSX to worldwide success were Ridge Racer, Battle Arena Toshinden, WipeOut, Destruction Derby, Tekken and Rayman.

But 1995 was only the start for one of the most successful game platforms of all time. In the years to follow, it would see hundreds of games published for it.

While a few development studios already understood how to use 3D graphics for game genres which had previously only been in 2D, 1996 was the breakout year for both PlayStation and 3D games in general.

Games like Super Mario 64 on the Nintendo 64, Crash Bandicoot on PlayStation, and Tomb Raider on both PlayStation and the ill-fated Sega Saturn showed how the 3rd dimension can revolutionize platforming action.

The PlayStation got its first sequels with Ridge Racer Revolution and Tekken 2, but a brand new series named Resident Evil emerged which moved players into a never before seen world of survival horror.

1997 started with a truly bombastic game with Final Fantasy VII. Featuring the debut of many memorable characters such as Cloud, Sephiroth, Aeris, and Tifa, Final Fantasy VII was the first Final Fantasy released in Europe and remains one of the most successful JRPGs even today.

The PlayStation received around 300 different games this year in the western market with many of them evolving into their own ongoing series such as Oddworld.

By 1998, developers better knew how to utilize the PlayStation’s capabilities and as a result games looked better than ever on the 4-year-old system.

Metal Gear Solid became one of the most popular games that year. Tekken 3 marked a new peak for 3D fighting games. Bust A Groove combined rhythm, quick button pressing, dancing, and elements from fighting games to craft a unique fun experience. Spyro the Dragon showed that 3D platformers weren’t exclusive to Nintendo 64. Although Gran Turismo was not illustrated by anyone in the Game-Art-HQ Community, it was one of the most important racing games of the time and it influenced many racing games that followed.

The first details about the PlayStation 2 and the Nintendo Gamecube (codenamed Dolphin) arrived in 1999. Sega’s final console, the Dreamcast, was released in the USA on September 9.

The aging PlayStation still enjoyed massive support by third-party developers around the globe creating sequels for series that went big on the system as well as spinoffs like Crash Team Racing. Silent Hill was a new survival horror title that utilized the PlayStation hardware in ways not seen before.

Ape Escape was the first game to require the recently released DualShock controller in order to play (the DualShock would later be bundled with all PlayStation systems). Square delivered one of the most beautiful 2D games of the 32-Bit Era with Legend of Mana while games like Soul Reaver demonstrated a step forward for 3D architecture in video games.

Everything comes to an end and with Sony’s PlayStation 2, Nintendo’s Gamecube, Microsoft’s Xbox, and Sega’s Dreamcast forging the next generation of video games, there were only a few more hits developed for the PSX.

Final Fantasy IX is one of the last big PlayStation games released for the console while FIFA Soccer 2005 was the final published PSX game in October 2004.

Many of the PlayStation’s games are available today through services such as the PlayStation Network and Steam. A lot also continue on through sequels and occasional remakes (Resident Evil, Crash Bandicoot, and Tomb Raider to name a few). All of the games drawn for this art collaboration by members of our community are something special. We hope our Tribute to the PSX and its games brings back memories for you or maybe even inspired you to try them out for the first time.

Thank you for viewing and thanks a ton to everyone responsible for the creation of the PlayStation!